


Cards on the Table

by what_the_nesmith



Category: Classic Who - Fandom, Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 04:37:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2838170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_the_nesmith/pseuds/what_the_nesmith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ace is left by the Doctor and so she decides to eat something at a cafe. Unfortunately, Ace stumbles into a showdown between two aliens and UNIT's wonderful Liz Shaw. For a Classic Who secret santa for http://incidentallymerrychristmas.tumblr.com/ (previously tenthplanet).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cards on the Table

“I’ll be right back Ace, hold on Ace, give me five minutes Ace,” Ace grumbled to herself, mocking the Doctor by raising her voice to a ridiculously high pitch. She squinted into the mug that sat on the table, wondering if it would be worth getting another refill on coffee. She and the Doctor had just stopped by Earth, time unknown at least to Ace, and the Doctor had immediately abandoned her. That had been earlier this morning and now it was late afternoon. Ace had camped out at a cafe the TARDIS had landed across the street from and she had been trying to figure out where the hell the Professor had gone off to. She didn’t want to be left behind, in fact Ace had originally planned to follow the Doctor, but unfortunately the umbrella yielding time lord had seemingly disappeared into thin air. With no body to follow, Ace decided she’d take the opportunity to get some food and a decent drink. 

“Miss, can I refill your cup?” a waitress asked, a warm coffee pot in hand. Ace nodded, quickly pulling out the little envelope the Professor had given her awhile ago filled with various types of currency. After doubling checking she had enough money to pay for yet another cup of coffee, Ace asked, “And, um, can I get some chips?” The waitress nodded and headed behind the counter. Ace slumped into her seat again, picking up the cup and taking a large gulp of coffee. Sometimes the Professor could really get on her nerves, not that she would ever really tell him that. Their adventures were something that Ace held in high regard. It wasn’t long before the waitress came back with a little basket of chips that she placed on the table next to the cup of coffee. Ace thanked her before picking one up and eating it. How long would the Professor be away? Ace wanted to get on with adventuring and saving people and all that fun stuff. Or maybe just blow something up, that would be nice too. Lost in thought, it took Ace a moment to realize that something had began to smell fishy. 

A young woman had slipped into the booth that was across from Ace’s table. She seemed to be staring intently at what Ace was sure was some sort of monitor. Either that or she was inspecting a calculator. But the woman didn’t raise any red flags of course. It was the other two that had come in shortly after the young woman. Two males, average in height and looks, expect Ace swore that their skin looked more rubbery than flesh. Like those cheap masks you can get at stores sometimes. Yes, Ace thought, that was exactly how their skin looked. The two men walked to the counter, their limbs stiff and their bodies rigid. The darker haired man reached out and ran the little desk bell that was kept around for customers to let their presence be known. The waitress appeared from out of the kitchen, a weary smile on her face. 

“Hello, how can I help you fellas today?” she asked, pulling out a pad and pencil stub. 

“All humans must leave this business establishment immediately,” the lighter haired man said, his voice monotonous. The waitress frowned. 

“Excuse me?” 

“All humans must leave this business establishment immediately,” the lighter haired man repeated. Ace saw the waitress’s jaw clench. A no-nonsense look came about her face and she placed the pad and pencil stub down onto the countertop. 

“If you two are going to play games like that I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the waitress told them sternly, arms crossing over her chest. 

“Obey,” squeaked the darker haired man. His voice was not monotonous, instead it was high pitched and riddled with tremors, as if any moment he would break out into hysterical sobbing. 

“Ah!” the waitress shouted, her hands shooting up into the air. Ace hadn’t seen the darker haired man pull out his weapon, but now it was in his hand and pointed at the waitress. On instinct, Ace leapt from her chair. She wasn’t the only one. The woman who had been looking at her device was standing too. 

“All humans must leave this business establishment immediately,” the lighter haired man repeated for a second time. The waitress nodded, eyes wide and mouth quivering. A greasy haired man in his late thirties appeared out of the kitchen. 

“Julie, is everything-,” he began to ask but was cut off by the darker haired man.

“Obey! Obey!” he squealed. The chef frowned at the darker haired man and then his face contorted into that of concern as his eyes fell upon the gun. 

“All humans must leave this business establishment immediately,” the lighter haired man repeated yet again. Ace was beginning to be a little annoyed but that one and his minimalistic vocabulary. 

“Now look here-,” the chef began, his voice firm and true, but before he could finish his sentence the darker haired one pulled the trigger and little flash of red hit the man in the chest. The chef’s hands clutched at the area where the little flash had hit him before he collapsed onto the floor. The waitress let out a shriek and ran over to her employer. Ace, being closer to the man than the other woman still unknown, went over as well. The waitress pressed her hand against the chef’s neck, feeling for a pulse. 

“Is he…?” Ace started, but dared not finish. The waitress looked up at her and shook her head. 

“He’s just unconscious,” she sighed, her voice shaking from the relief. 

“All humans please leave this area immediately!” the monotonous one demanded. The waitress didn’t seem like she was going to stick around. Pulling the chef up into a sitting position, the waitress lifted him up so that most of his body weight was leaning against the side of the waitress. With a little effort, she managed to get the chef out from behind the counter and, with a little help from Ace this time, managed to get out the front door. After their departure, it was just Ace and the woman left, along with what Ace was now sure the two aliens. It was a relief that these two hadn’t showed up during rush hour. The darker haired one seemed frustrated. He turned his weapon onto to Ace, flicking it now and then to the other woman. 

“Do you not obey?” he shrieked. The woman exchanged a look with Ace. Ace wasn’t sure what the look meant, but she assumed that if the woman had stuck around this long, she knew what was happening. 

“We’re not humans though, mate,” Ace blurted suddenly. The dark haired one frowned deeply, looking Ace up and down. 

“Yes my… daughter is correct. We are not human,” the woman agreed, nodding her head ever so slightly. 

“You look human. You are human,” the light haired one spoke. So, Ace thought, the bullhorn can say more than just a couple of words. 

“Oh, c’mon, lots of aliens look like humans,” pointed out Ace. 

“We can do a scan,” ventured the dark haired one. His face was contorted into a large frown and his rubbery skin was creased to the point where Ace was sure that if it were a mask it would have split in two. 

“That’s very true, but scans take awhile, don’t they? And I’m sure you two are very busy today. Just give my daughter a minute to finish up her coffee and we will get out of your hair. You don’t even need to stop your plans,” the woman suggested. The two aliens looked at each other and, although no words were spoken, they seemed to conference about what the woman had said. Then the darker haired one turned back to face the woman. 

“Okay, finish up,” he snapped and then the two of them walked towards the middle of the cafe. The woman eased her way slowly over to Ace. She motioned towards the coffee and chips. Ace picked up the cup and sipped. 

“What’s going on?” she asked the woman. The woman bit her lower lip for a moment before replying with, “Official UNIT business I’m afraid. Who are you?” 

“I’m Ace,” Ace replied, eating a handful of chips. 

“Liz Shaw,” Liz said. The two women glanced at the aliens. They were currently rearranging many of the chairs that were movable in the cafe into a circle. 

“What are they up to?” Ace asked. 

“I received a tip that a couple of visitors were trying to call a mothership. This was only supposed to be a followup on a lead but I guess what happens is happening,” Liz replied. 

“So they’re going to call a mothership with a circle of chairs?” Ace commented, raising an eyebrow as she gulped down her coffee. 

“I guess so,” Liz shrugged. The dark haired one turned to face the two women. For a moment, Ace felt fear in her stomach. Had he heard the conversation between herself and LIz? But then the alien said, “Hurry up. We need privacy.” Ace finished off the last of her coffee. The dark haired one turned back to his companion. 

“Alright Ace, here’s what I suggest. You distract them with… I don’t know, just a distraction, and then I will steal that weapon of theirs. Once that’s done, hopefully my UNIT backup request will be here by then. Sound like a plan?” 

“Sounds fantastic!” Ace admitted. Yes, a small, controlled explosion would be a perfect distraction. Ace snuck into the kitchen after the plan had been clarified once more and she fixed up what was probably going to be the best part of her day. After double checking that everything was in order and that the explosion wouldn’t blow up the entire cafe, along with everything else inside it, Ace snuck out of the kitchen and crouched down behind the counter. The aliens were still making their chair circle, stacking the chairs on top of the base that had already been made. Ace gave Liz a thumbs up and in return LIz nodded. Ace crept back into the kitchen and lit the light. The safety line was hopefully just outside the kitchen. So Ace made her retreat and plugged up her ears. Five, four, three, two, one, Ace counted down. At zero, Ace felt the cafe shake. She unplugged her ears and hopped up from behind the counter. Liz had done her portion and was brandishing the weapon so that both aliens could see it. 

“Alright, no body move,” Liz barked. Ace jumped over the countertop so that she was on the other side. Shortly after this, Liz’s UNIT backup arrived. The aliens were taken into custody and Liz assured Ace that the two of them would be sent back to their planet soon. With that finished, Ace wondered what she would do next. Liz had left with barely a goodbye, and the Professor wasn’t…. wait a minute. Ace squinted her eyes and sure enough the Doctor was rushing to the TARDIS. Ace broke out into a jog and in a dash of luck, the two met up at the TARDIS at the same time. 

“Hello Ace,” the Doctor greeted, fumbling with the TARDIS key hole. 

“Hiya Professor, what’s the rush?” Ace answered. 

“Oh, well you see Ace we can’t be here,” the Doctor replied. 

“And why’s that then?” Ace asked. The Doctor have a little “aha” as the key turned in the lock and the TARDIS door swung open. 

“There just so happens to be another me around. I can’t cross my own timestream, who knows what kind things could go wrong,” the Doctor explains as he ushers Ace into the TARDIS, “But, besides that, how were you without me?” Ace waltzed over to the console.

“Oh I dunno Professor, it wasn’t that eventful,” she shrugs, with a knowing smile. The Doctor raised an eyebrow but said nothing. 

“So where to now, Professor?” Ace asked.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
